The history of Thanksgiving goes back to 1619 when 38 English settlers in Berkeley Hundred Charles City County, Virginia held a day of thanksgiving to God Almighty for their safe arrival to Virginia. In 1621 the Pilgrims held a day of thanksgiving to thank God for the good harvest and celebrated it along with the American Indians who had given them food to help them get through the winter. The Pilgrims understood the feast of tabernacles to thank God for the harvest and Thanksgiving traces from that original meaning. The Pilgrims had arrived the previous year in 1620 aboard the Mayflower and many had died that first winter as they landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts. William Brewster read Psalm 100 as a prayer of Thanksgiving when they sighted land. The Pilgrims had come to America for freedom to worship God. The American Indians had helped them get through the winter with food and taught them how to fish and hunt. Other days of thanksgiving were held on and off by various people. Proclamations of thanksgiving were mostly made by church leaders in New England until 1682 when leaders of the colonies as well as church leaders made proclamations until after the Revolutionary War. During the time of the Revolutionary War the Continental Congress as well as such leaders as George Washington and John Hancock had made thanksgiving proclamations in thanking God. President George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, “as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God”. From this time until Abraham Lincoln, the date of Thanksgiving varied by state with the last Thursday in November being the most common date. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving that was to be on the final Thursday of November. It has been a national holiday since that time. This was to thank God for the continuing success of the Union during the Civil War as well as the blessings God had bestowed on America. Sarah Hale had written letters to politicians for 40 years asking for a federal holiday of Thanksgiving. In 1939 President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the date of Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November for business purposes, but on December 26, 1941 Congress changed Thanksgiving back to the fourth Thursday in November. Today a handful of nations also celebrate Thanksgiving with most being in November as well, though the date may vary. Canada has their Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October to thank God for the harvest season. This is Columbus Day in the United States. A few other nations have a harvest celebration. All nations should have a day set aside to thank God not just for their fall harvest as historically was done, but for all that God has done for them.
Today we often celebrate Thanksgiving with family and large amounts of food including such things as turkey, stuffing, cranberries, potatoes, other vegetables, bread, and pumpkin pie. We should enjoy the time with family and the food, but not be gluttons and remember that Thanksgiving is the day we thank God for everything. (Proverbs 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.) Unfortunately too many people no longer understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving and have turned it into just a day to gather with family and friends, gorge themselves with lots of food, alcohol, watch football and parades, and prepare for Black Friday shopping. The president is too busy pardoning a turkey instead of asking God to forgive him and the nation of his and our sins and thanking God for having put him in power. The blessings of God for most have long been forgotten. Today people are very unthankful. (II Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,) Many people are so unthankful that they call Thanksgiving Turkey Day and never say Happy Thanksgiving as they are not happy about anything. They have long forgotten God. Americans have become some of the most unthankful people even though God has blessed us more than any other nation with maybe the exception of Israel. There is no excuse for this as God is gracious even to the unthankful who do not deserve the grace and blessings of God. (Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.) I have met people that God has performed miracles in their lives after some health issue or other event and they are completely unthankful and hate God. Some people will never be thankful no matter what. God said the nations that forget God will be turned into hell. Today the United States of America and all nations have forgotten God as they push God aside. America needs to repent today or she will be destroyed. (Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.)
Just as God provided a bountiful harvest for the Pilgrims in 1621, he also provided for the Israelites with manna and water while they were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. (Exodus 16:35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.)
The Israelites offered sacrifices of thanksgiving to God. (Leviticus 7:12-15 If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.
14 And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for an heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest’s that sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.
15 And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.) These were to be done by the person’s own free will. (Leviticus 22:29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.) (Amos 4:5 And offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving with leaven, and proclaim and publish the free offerings: for this liketh you, O ye children of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.) We as Christians should also offer sacrifices to God with our time, money, and talents to win souls for Jesus as a thanksgiving to God for saving us and providing for us daily.
Many godly men in scripture gave thanks to God. The Levites gave thanks to God at the dedication of Solomon’s temple to God. (I Chronicles 5:13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;) When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem following Babylonian and Persian captivity they laid the foundation for rebuilding the temple that was destroyed by the Babylonians and they gave thanks to God. (Ezra 3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.) Israelites gave thanks to God during the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 12:40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:) Daniel gave thanks to God for revealing what Nebuchadnezzar dreamed. (Daniel 2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.) Daniel prayed and gave thanks to God three times a day. (Daniel 6:10 ¶ Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.) Today most Christians cannot even pray at all to God anytime let alone three times a day. When Jesus was brought to the temple as a child to be dedicated to the Lord, the widow Anna was a woman who gave thanks to God. (Luke 2:37-38 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.)
We are told over and over in scripture that we are to give thanks to God. (I Chronicles 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.) (I Chronicles 16:34-35 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
35 And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.) The psalms are full of verses to thank God. (Psalm 136:1-3 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
2O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
3O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.) (Psalm 136:26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.) (Psalm 26:7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.) (Psalm 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:) (Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.)
Christians should pray and thank God for their food before eating and this includes in public. Do not be ashamed of God. Many people do not get food every day, so we should be thanking God for his blessings. Jesus set the example by praying and thanking God for the food before feeding the 4,000 men. (Matthew 15:36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.) Jesus gave thanks for the cup at the Last Supper which represented his future shed blood on the cross for our sins when he instituted the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;) All food is good for us to eat if we pray and ask God to bless it. (I Timothy 4:3-5 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.)
God is worthy to be praised and thanked each and every day for the things he provides for us. God often even provides the things that we are not even aware of. God said those who do not provide for their own are worse than an infidel. (I Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.) God is no infidel as he always takes care of his own children and even his enemies. God provides for the sparrow that is not worth much and does not forget them, so do you not think he will provide for his children? (Luke 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?) (Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?)
Christians should give God thanks every day for all the things he does for each of us. Thank God for saving us and for sending his Son Jesus so that we could have that salvation. Thank God that he still allows you another day on this earth and that you can breathe without thinking about it and your heart beats without any thought from you. Thank God you have a roof over your head, clothes on your body, and food on the table and live in a place where for now we can still worship without fear and have the freedom to assemble. Pray that this will continue. Too many Christians never thank God for what he does for us each and every day. They take God for granted, especially American Christians who have much to be thankful for compared to the rest of the world, yet are some of the most ungrateful people including Christians. Most American Christians just expect God that he is supposed to give them everything they want and are not thankful one bit. Most never pray for their food or anything else. Christians should be thankful and in everything give thanks. God commands us to be thankful. (I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.) (Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;) God is pleased when Christians give him thanks for what he does for them. When we live our lives in a godly manner this shows our thanks to God. (Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.) If we are Christians we should abound with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.) We as Christians should not be thankful just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of the year. (Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.) We need to learn to thank God even for the things that do not go according to the way we wanted, whether a job we did not get or a health issue that arises. God said to give thanks in everything, not just for the things we wanted or like. This is not always easy, but is God’s command. God always knows best and has a reason for all things. (Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.) Everything he does is to bring glory to him, so praise him and thank God even in the dark days and times. It may not always be easy to thank God at times, but we still must. It is easy to thank God when all is going well, but true thanks is shown when all is not well. Let us turn Thanksgiving back into a day like it was meant to be, a day of thanksgiving to God for all of his blessings he bestows upon us. For those who are not saved, call upon Jesus today for salvation and you will have reason to be the most thankful in your life that you will ever be since now you will have everlasting life and you too can know the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
